Winston + Salem = Arts and Innovation

Read this in-depth article in Winston-Salem Monthly magazine about the history of the city's efforts to grow its technology sector. From the article:

The Twin City's wealth of higher education gives us a competitive edge in the 21st century and is part of what makes its Piedmont Triad Research Park, an innovation community for life sciences and information technology, so dynamic and flush with collaborative opportunities. "Life outside the lab makes all the difference," the park's website states. "The city of Winston-Salem nurtures intellectual and business opportunities, stimulating its residents' creativity and their visions for the future."

Read the entire article here.

Targacept Celebrates 10th Anniversary

There is a comprehensive article in today's Winston-Salem Journal about Targacept and the work they are doing to find treatments for Alzheimer's. From the article:

As research extends into higher-level clinical trials involving patients, Targacept is adding to its work force. After spinning out with 24 employees, it expects to hire at least 35 this year to get to 150.

Read more here.

Nanoscience School Begins Classes

The new Nanoscience and Nanoengineering School in Greensboro, NC opens its doors this week to its first class of students. The school is a partnership between NC A&T and UNC- Greensboro. 18 students will work towards a Masters or Ph. D in Nanoscience or Nanoengineering plus the school will be a incubator for startup companies.

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WinstonNet Secures Nearly a Million Dollars in Federal Funding

WinstonNet Inc., a partnership of local government and academic institutions and the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce to provide free computer services to city and county residents, has received a $926,537 federal broadband recovery grant to provide new equipment for existing labs, better serve the Hispanic population, open new labs in low-income areas, and expand computer training, job training, and educational resources.
The federal grant will be matched with $532,711 in cash and $163,500 in in-kind contributions from WinstonNet and its member agencies, said John Boehme, the president of WinstonNet and the director of technical resources for education- and research-administrative systems at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

Read the rest of the announcement here.

Why Are We So Far Behind

This video from Time Warner Cable and their Connect a Million Minds Campaign talks about the U.S. ranking 35th in Math and 29th in Science world-wide. Although the video doesn't answer the fundamental question Why Are We So Far Behind? (in science and math) there is further information to learn more
http://www.connectamillionminds.com/campaigns/cammww/

Triad Forensics Laboratory Featured on News 14

Triad Forensics Laboratory is growing and receiving great press for their testing on the oil spill clean up products for the Gulf.

See Clip

Celebrate 20 Years of Winston-Salem's Economic Transformation

Registration is now open for the Chamber Tech Council 20th Anniversary Gala, September 23, 2010 at the Milton Rhodes Downtown Center for the Arts. Join us for cocktails and appetizers at 5:30 p.m., followed by insightful highlights of Winston-Salem’s and the Triad’s transition to a technology and knowledge-based economy. Meet the leaders of this effort, and celebrate the people who are working tirelessly toward vision, innovation, and growth. Cook Medical is our title sponsor. For more information, contact Andrea Howell at 336-728-9228 or ahowell@winstonsalem.com.

Click here to get your tickets for this event.

Lunch and Learn Series Returns to PTRP

The Lunch and Learn Series at the Piedmont Triad Research Park have returned! If you are interested in meeting the research park's tenants and learning more about the exciting new science being created in Winston Salem please join us on August 18, 2010 from 12:00-1:00 in the PTCRC Building, 115 S. Chestnut St.

Triad Forensics CEO, Lauren Stainback, will present examples of real CSI cases and the role their laboratory plays in helping to solve crimes and mysteries.

Don't have a science background? NO PROBLEM! These lunches are meant for all levels. A healthy, light snack will be provided but you are encouraged to bring your own lunch.

To Register Contact: Jill Peters jpeters@wfubmc.edu or 336.7154

Future Dates:
September 15th- Office of Technology Asset Management
October 20th- Carolina Liquid Chemistries
November 17th- Ocular Systems
December 15th- Cathtek

Mount Airy Firm Wins NASA Award

Mount Airy firm NCFI Polyurethanes was honored today by NASA and Lockheed Martin Space Systems for their external tank work on the U.S. space shuttle program.

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Internet Summit 10 - November 17-18, 2010 Raleigh, NC

TechJournal South will be hosting its 3rd annual Internet Summit this November. If you are interested in learning about the latest technology trends, from Social Media to Cloud Computing, this is a great event.

FYI: The event has sold out the last two years. Get your tickets while they last.

Click Here To Learn More

NC Offers New Digital Media Tax Credit

The State of North Carolina has introduced a 15 to 20 percent tax credit on compensation for employees working on digital media production. Learn more here.

Wake Forest Cancer Researchers Discover New Treatment

(from the Triad Business Journal)

Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have made a “major breakthrough” in how to target and destroy the most malignant and aggressive brain cancer cells.

An announcement from the medical center said scientists have identified a way to target and destroy Glioblastoma multiforme, or GBM, cells without harming healthy cells.

“Over the last 30 to 40 years, with all the cancer research efforts out there, we have only been able to extend the survival rate in these patients by about one month per decade of research,” said Dr. Waldemar Debinski, director of the Brain Tumor Center of Excellence at Wake Forest Baptist.

Read more: WFU researchers make cancer discovery - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area

Motion Capture Film Techniques Have Practical Applications

What is "motion capture"?
If you've been to the movies lately, to see films like Avatar and Beowolf, you've probably heard about "motion capture." You may know that it's a set of computer techniques that enable cartoon characters to move the way real people do, like the dancing penguins in Happy Feet.
What you might not realize is that these same techniques can be useful in health care, as when physical therapists study the movements of elderly folks trying to reach or to maintain balance as they walk. Occupational therapists, too, can make better diagnoses and recommendations – for example, in drivers' rehabilitation. The same techniques can also inform designs for prosthetic and orthotic devices.
Captured motion data can give choreographers new ways to create dances, and athletic coaches new methods for planning sports moves. Athletes can get new views of their own movements, to better learn how to make the best jump shot or golf swing.
"Motion capture" refers to photographic and electronic means of tracking and digitally recording information about how things move. Example methods involve thermal imaging and high-speed videography.
Often the process involves markers that reflect light or transmit electronic signals. "MoCap" experts place these markers on the articulated joints of dancers or other moving forms, and cameras or other receivers register the changes in location as the form moves. Specialized software tools then enable showing these captured data visually, via computer displays.
Collaborators at the Center for Design Innovation are steadily developing MoCap capabilities. In time, Winston-Salem and the North Carolina's Piedmont area will become known for innovations stemming from these skills and techniques. You can follow their progress and the work of Carol Strohecker, their Director at:
http://www.CenterforDesignInnovation.org/Research/MotionCapture.php/